Cutter rigs

[StellaGirl]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of a cutter rigged boat?

 

[ParaHandy]

orra numerous tae menshun .... but yin wid be ra wee sails (easy to handle) but mony of 'em ...

 

[snowleopard]

+ flexible: more sail combinations
Staysail acts as storm canvas
better visibility

- extra pair of winches
runners
not so close winded

 

[mainmarine]

For: Easier to handle smaller sails, easier to balance when reefed, Against: more string in cockpit, bit slower tacking
Malc
Mainmarine

 

[ghost]

they are so bloody pretty

 

[Twister_Ken]

They don't go upwind so well as a plain vanilla sloop, which is why you don't see cutter rig racers (not real go-faster ones anyway)

But other than that. much to be desired.

 

[pessimist]

Question here - what constitutes a cutter? I always understood a bowsprit was necessary. I have Yankee/Staysail combination but no bowsprit. I've been informed this rig is known as slutter.

Cheers

Colin

 

[pragmatist]

Well let's ignore the "slutter" bits - it makes her sound tacky and you know she's wonderful ! But the split rig is wonderful on a big relatively heavy boat - both our foresails are on rollers and it makes for a flexible set and easy to handle - even shorta-handed. Having had to eat raw steak to sheet the genny on the last boat (12 feet smaller) I'd recommend it (unless your crew is macho and young and fit ...)

 

[pessimist]

[ QUOTE ]
unless your crew is macho and young and fit ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Well you're macho anyway.......

 

[doris]

Much more handleable fore triangle, moves centre of effort towards the centre as you furl, giving a better motion. As you roll up big sail the stay sail becomes the heavy weather sail. Downside is that you will not point quite so high (draw the sail plan and you will see why), slower to tack, need 2 spin poles, runners. Had a Sigma 41 rigged thus and it worked brilliantly. The Cabin Boy in love with it.

 

[snowleopard]

No requirement for cutters to have bowsprits. Likewise you can have a sloop with a bowsprit. A cutter is a single-masted boat with 2 or more headsails that are set at the same time - a genoa with an alternate headsail in an inner stay is still a sloop.

S.S. is a cutter.